Brave Little Warrior
by Pink Mockingjay in Hufflepuff
Summary: After the untimely death of a close friend, Merida is needed to comfort those left behind. *HTTYD2 spoilers. Character death mentioned. Oneshot.*


_**I really should be working on my other stories but I can't control my feels. This doesn't work with anything else I've written. If you cry easily (like me), you might need tissues. Prepare your feels.**_

* * *

"Mama! Mommy!"

Merida sat straight up. She had almost been asleep on the chair she was sitting in.

"Mommy!" came the little desperate, tearful plea again.

Merida hurried down the hall and into the room of the little girl, her dress smacking her around the knees as she didn't bother to hike up her skirts. She didn't have the time.

The little girl was still very obviously asleep, but having a nightmare. And a terrible one at that if her writhing and wriggling said anything about it.

"Mama, no! Mama! Come back Mama!"

Merida frowned as she placed a gentle hand on the girl's arm. The little girl's distress was contagious. Merida felt tears prick her eyes at the sight. "Wake up, sweetheart."

The little girl whimpered in her sleep.

"Please, wake up." Merida whispered.

The little girl blinked her eyes open and sat up with a start, still whimpering. She wiped her eyes. "Ma-mama?"

"No little one," Merida said softly, sitting on the bed next to the tearful girl. She rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Where's my daddy?" her voice was fear-stricken. She couldn't loose another one of her parents. She couldn't.

"He's out flying, he'll be back soon. I promise." Merida told her softly.

The little girl looked up at Merida, blue eyes filled with sorrow and misery that a child should never know. Her face was tear-stained. Her hair was a mess. But she still looked like her mother.

Merida kissed her forehead ever so gently. "I'll be right back, little one." The princess stood and exited the room, intent on getting a cool, wet cloth to wipe the child's teary, sweaty little face. She returned with the cloth and returned to her place next to the girl.

"I miss my mommy." the little girl confessed with a sniffle. Her eyes were downcast, as if she was ashamed of the fact.

"I know, wee one. I know." Merida gently wiped the child's neck with the cloth. "Your mother was a wonderful person. I miss her too."

"I want my mama back. I want her!" This brought on a fresh bout of tears.

"Where's the brave little warrior your mommy always told me about, hm?" Merida asked gently, returning to rubbing her back. She put the abandoned cloth on the small table next to the bed. "Where's her brave little Rowan?"

Rowan looked up and said softly. "I'm here."

"That's right," Merida gave the girl a small smile. "I knew your mother quite well and I know she wouldn't want you cryin' too much about her not bein' here with you."

"I don't want to cry anymore. Not ever again. Brave warriors never cry."

"Ah, but they do when they've a reason. And this is a good reason. But brave little warriors don't cry forever because they know that if they keep crying about the past, they'll never smile about the future."

Rowan still cried. Merida understood completely. She was five years old and she had just lost her mother unexpectedly.

Merida had come for a visit, unaware that Astrid had suddenly fallen very ill. It was isolated. No one else had it on the entirety of Berk. Just her. She was miserable for four days and then they lost her. Nobody screamed or cried too loudly, but the eerie silence spoke volumes. Merida was there when Hiccup stumbled out of the house in an angry, miserable stupor. It was absolutely heart-wrenching to watch one of her closest friends cry so much. The entire island was upset.

Merida was included in the people who shot arrows at the ship alongside Astrid's parents, Hiccup's mother, Gobber, Eret, the twins, Fishlegs, and Snotlout. Hiccup went first and he could hardly watch himself do it. Rowan was clinging to his side, whimpering the whole time. Astrid's distraught dragon, Stormfly, as well as Toothless participated as well, sending their own blasts of fire.

Merida had no doubt that little Rowan's bad dream was haunted by fire and despair, because she herself kept seeing the flames lick the ship whenever she closed her eyes.

_"A great warrior, friend, daughter, wife, and mother that will be dearly missed."_

There was a new, half-finished copy of the Book of Dragons on Hiccup's desk. Astrid had been helping him with a copy so there would be two books. The page it was open to was done in her handwriting, it was about the Changewings and it was half-finished. Merida wondered if Hiccup would ever finish the page.

Rowan clung to Merida suddenly. "Don't leave."

"I wouldn't dream of it, brave wee darling. I'll stay right here with you." Merida picked up the comb from the girl's bedside table and started to brush out the tangles from Rowan's hair.

Then, she started to sing.

* * *

Hiccup entered his house with Toothless hot on his heels. He felt no better than he had when he left and felt guilty for leaving his daughter behind on a flight that did little. He knew she was hurting too.

When the boat completely ignited, he had picked Rowan up and she had instantly wrapped her arms around his neck. She dared to glance at the ship ablaze and had whispered "I love you, Mommy." before turning her face back against his shoulder. They sat far enough away from the shore with their backs against it until it was gone. They said not a word. And neither had Merida, who had sat on his left side.

Merida had wordlessly followed them home and then told him if he needed to get away for a while, she would keep an eye on Rowan for him. And so he put his daughter to bed and left to fly aimlessly around for a few hours. First his father and then his wife. It was always one or the other, wasn't it? A mother or a father. A child or a wife.

Toothless crooned softly and Hiccup reached down to pet his head subconsciously. That's when his head had cleared enough for him to hear singing. It was soft and gentle and there was so much love laced into it.

He could recognize it as a lullaby of sorts, though he never had one sung to him and Astrid could only hum some to Rowan. He could also recognize the voice. Merida was singing. How long had she been singing for?

Then another voice joined in Merida's song. It was quiet and a bit tearful and lispy. Rowan. Hiccup stood listening for a few moments. First Rowan's voice became more and more sleepy before dropping out entirely, then Merida started humming instead of singing. And then she stopped.

"Sleep well, brave wee warrior." Merida whispered softly as she stepped out of the room. Hiccup felt a fresh round of tears forming. Astrid called Rowan her brave warrior.

Merida turned around and gave a small squeak when she saw Hiccup.

"Please don't do that!" Merida said quietly, her surprise evident, a hand pressed to her cheek. She tried to lighten the mood. "My mother says it's bad luck to frighten a princess."

"I don't think my luck could get any worse, unfortunately..."

"I'm-"

Hiccup shook his head. "I can't hear that anymore. Don't you dare say it."

"Say what? " Merida was confused.

"That you're sorry!" Hiccup snapped. "I've heard that enough times and it still hasn't helped. What is it that you people are sorry for? Sorry that she died or that Rowan and I are alone now?"

Merida took a few steps forward and hesitated for a second before taking his hand in both of her own. "Both. We're sorry for both. We'll all miss her."

"What am I going to do?" Hiccup asked sadly. He didn't make a move to pull his hand away. "Rowan deserves better than just me! Astrid was amazing with her and I-I'm..."

"Her father." Merida finished. "Haven't you seen the way she looks at you? She adores you. My father was my hero when I was her age. He couldn't do any wrong in my eyes. I know Rowan feels the same about you. I've seen you with her and you're wonderful with her. Don't make yourself out to be something you're not."

He sighed as he sat down and Toothless whimpered as he nuzzled against him.

Merida stood holding his hand for a few more moments, studying his face, trying to find out what to say. When she discovered there truly wasn't anything she could say, she decided she should leave.

"I should go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He looked up and squeezed her hand suddenly. "Please don't." His voice cracked and he couldn't keep the waver out of it. "Not yet."

She smiled sadly and sat next to him before saying softly "You don't have to be brave in front of me."

And that's all it took for him to break down again. Merida couldn't do anything but sit there, but perhaps that was all he needed.

Their hands were still locked together when he calmed down again.

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**_A/N: I don't ship them! I really don't, I swear, but my friend told me that it could be read as such, so if that tickles your fancy, consider your fancy tickled._**

**_I'm so sorry if there's grammar issues, but I got teary when I was proof-reading. _**

**_The lullaby I imagine Merida is singing would be "Noble Maiden Fair" from the Brave Soundtrack and I listened to it on repeat the entire time I was writing this._**

**_I love Astrid so much, so writing about her dying was so hard for me._**

**_Thanks for reading! Please review if you can!_**


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